Council scraps Roma Saleyards buyer fee

Moving on: Buyers at the Roma Saleyards are looking forward to getting back to business after the Maranoa Regional Council voted to remove the new buyer fee.A special meeting in Roma on Friday saw the Maranoa Regional Council resolve to removethe new Roma Saleyardsbuyer fee from the 2016/17 fees & charges schedule and refund those who paid in good faith.

Deputy Mayor Jan Chambers, who brought the proposal to Council on behalf of Council as a whole, said as evidenced by the last few monthsthere had been different views within and between groups of stakeholders and their representatives.

The meeting outlined that out of the consultation to datethere were a number of key themes and matters for Council to consider going forward includinga need to provide key information about major changes and incorporatealead timefor implementation of major changes.

Council also acknowledged there were anumber of matters on the table that cloudeda robust discussion about the merits or otherwise of the fee and agreed where there was a major change proposed, Council needed to provide opportunities for broader input in addition to the input from stakeholder group representatives.

Further to removal of the fee from the 2016/17 fees & charges schedule, Council approved a number of other actions-to expand the draft prospectus/booklet on the saleyards, to separately consider the new multipurpose facility, to undertake a full review of costs, fees and charges, to formalise a detailed business plan and review the consultation framework.

Cr Chambers said the additional steps would provide valuable input into future budget deliberationsand assist in providing further information on key areas of interest to the community.

“On behalf of Council, I thank all buyers who supported the Roma Saleyards by making payment upon receipt of the invoice. We are grateful for their cooperation during a time of change,” she said.

“In a constantly changing business environmentit is critically important that we work together to ensure the Roma Saleyards remains the number one cattle selling centre in Australia – it is not something Council can achieve alone.”​

Saleyards portfolio chairperson Peter Flynn voiced his support for the proposal and said it had been a long and difficult six months for all involvedso it wasgood to have a way forward.

“There has certainly been some robust discussionbut it is important now to commence work on the specific feedback provided to us during the recent consultation and examine each of the issues on their merits,” Cr Flynn said.

Cr Flynn gave credit to Saleyards Advisory Committee members who had been in the spotlight over recent months.

“In any organisation or community groupit is always very difficult to get people to come forward and volunteer their time and experience, so we have been very fortunate to have experienced people willing to commit their time for the betterment of the Saleyards,” he said.

“I know that a lot has been said recently about the Advisory Committee and its membership, however, we need to not lose sight of the significant contribution by various members over the years.

“We recognise though that it is important to be open to new ways of consulting and gaining broader input from all stakeholdersand I look forward to the opportunities that input will bring.”

Cr Flynn said he believed the Advisory Committee would continue with a possible review of membership in coming weeks.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.